When Less is More: Encouragement for Homeschool Moms Going Back to School

The school busses are running in my neighborhood again. And can I just be honest about something for a moment? This can be hard time of year for the “regular school” and “homeschool” moms to understand each other. Sometimes it can be downright depressing to watch other moms send their kids off to school. I know, I know— I CHOSE this. I get it. But still. Reality is reality—and homeschooling has it’s own reality. Good, but hard. Like all things that are worth it.

Listen. My best friend in the whole wide world sends her kids to “regular” school and so this is NOT a “dig” , it’s just a reality check.

This morning I saw a status from a friend who was “elated” to finally have her children back in school… she was going to the mall by herself to celebrate… oh the plans she had, 7 hours to herself every day! No messy house. Peace and quiet. I confess: I felt the familiar sting of jealousy mixed with a bit of angst about all that was ahead for me this fall.

After all, this isn’t my first rodeo! I’ve been at this for twenty years.

I looked around my house. Grandkids, cousins, siblings. Noise. (Some are even happy noises.) Messy house. Oh.So.Messy. And then, it hit me again: homeschooling is a MONUMENTAL COMMITMENT.

And it’s not for everyone.

Homeschooling families CHOOSE

—more messy house days

—more math

—less “me” time

—less “quiet” time

—less income, most of the time

—less trips to the mall…or anyplace else… alone 🙂

But here’s the thing.  IN RETURN, if we do not lose heart, if we stay the course, the reward far exceeds the commitment we’re making.

Why? Because in choosing many of the things on my “less” list, we’re also choosing MORE. Homeschool mom, you’re CHOOSING

—more involvement, which means more influence with your children

—more TIME with your children, which means more memories to cherish and to use the influence you have

—more childhood, thanks to just being home more

—more opportunities to shape hearts and minds

—more educational options to meet individual needs

—more interaction, more hugs, more TIME. Did I mention more time? Oh yes, I did.

—more flexibility.

So homeschool mom, you’ve got this.

When I think about it this way, my heart is strengthened. In this light, less really is “more”. There are no “easy” buttons for educating our children, no matter what we choose to do. But as homeschooling moms, you’re making a commitment to put your heart and soul into the lives of your children in a way that many people would not ever choose to do.

Will it be hard? You know it will. But it will also be worth it.

So take a deep breath, homeschool mom! Let’s embrace the opportunity we have been given and make the most of the incredible opportunity called the homeschool years. They really do go by quickly. <3


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This entry was posted in Becoming MomStrong, Homeschooling, MomStrong Parenting on by .

About Heidi St. John

Heidi has been married to her husband Jay since 1989. Together they have seven children and three grandchildren! The St. Johns homeschooled their kids all the way through high school. Heidi is the the author of seven books, host of the popular podcast "Off the Bench," and the founder of MomStrong International, an online community of women learning God's Word and how to apply it to every day life. She and her husband Jay are also the founders of Firmly Planted Family and the Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center, located in Vancouver, Washington.

11 thoughts on “When Less is More: Encouragement for Homeschool Moms Going Back to School

  1. Judy Weniger

    So true! I just started year 14 , I love it. Not to say I never wanted to chase that bus down, but the blessings…Tomorrow I will not only have two of my girls , but my youngest grandson, 2 years old. He loves to be here and always wants to do “school”. What a joy amidst the mess. We are so blessed to be able to do this!

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  2. Michelle

    It is hard. So hard. My house is also messy. There is no quiet anymore. I have a boy that asks millions of questions a day. It is exhausting! He makes lots of messes. Cleaning up when he wants to move on to something else has never been his forte, no matter how hard I have tried to instill that in him. But, I wouldn’t give this up for the world. I have time with him. I don’t have to rush him out the door to school anymore. I love that. My other two were in public school, and I dreaded the end of summer. I hated sending them back. It took my middle daughter a few months after graduating to finally decompress and become her old self again. I missed her. The pressures and the homework from school, I didn’t see her much for 4-5 years. So, I will enjoy my time with my boy because I know all to well, I will blink, and he will be graduating from high school, and then doing who knows what… college or something of the like somewhere.

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  3. Sandra Libby

    Heidi, thank you so much for this post. So timely as we just began our 8th year of homeschooling today! There were a couple points in the day where I was wishing that big yellow limousine was stopping in front of my house for a pick up! But on the flip side I am so grateful that it is me who gets to be home to hold my babies, kiss the boo-boos, teach the Word, dive into books and simply BE with my children. Some days are uglier than ugly but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I know even through the ugly, He is making beautiful through our everyday crazy life! Thank you again Heidi. This will be a post I need to read the beginning of every year…

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  4. Kim G Dean

    Love this post! This is year 15 for us and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! My in-laws call the school bus the big yellow liberator and ask me what will I do without it? Always doubting my ability to actually teach my kids. My daughter graduated from college in June and is now an Officer in the Air Force in Medical School to become a surgeon. I still struggle with 7th grade math BUT I know where to go to get it done! It isn’t easy and there are days when I really wonder what I’m doing! Praying extra hard I’m not messing them up BUT it is so worth the JOURNEY! The Big Yellow Liberator can just keep going right past my house at O’DARK THIRTY!! Mine are still asleep!! So Thankful that He has allowed us the blessing of homeschooling 🙂

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  5. Christy

    Beth, I’m going to believe along side you that we serve a really big God who can move mountains and that no matter how many days, months, years you have with your children, God would make it feel double as you pour into those kiddos. Be blessed sister in Christ

    Reply
  6. Anita

    A gentle reminder that it can be just as tough the other way around. We send our kids to public school – my husband is an administrator and we feel it’s the right decision for us. But there are days I send them off and all I want is them to come back. I want to teach them and I want to spend more time with them. Not every public school parent “celebrates” when their kids are gone (and I’m not saying you thought that, but a lot of people do).

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  7. Judy

    Thank you for this encouragement, Heidi. Starting year 17 with half of our home contents in storage this year. Thank you for this reminder!

    Reply

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